Happy Birthday Kapil Dev: The heartthrob of nation, who helped team India won its first-ever World Cup (Happy Birthday Kapil Dev) is celebrating his 64th birthday today.
Kapil was born on January 06, 1959 in Chandigarh, India, and is known for his excellent leadership and all-round skills.
Kapil Dev, known as one of the best all-rounders in cricket history, has excelled in his exceptional 16-year international career. He has helped the Indian team to numerous notable triumphs.
Kapil Dev stats
He participated in 131 test matches for India, where he scored an incredible 5248 runs with an excellent average of 31.05. not just with the bat he was equally effective with the bowl too and registered 434 wickets in test cricket, which is still the highest for any Indian fast bowler in the longest format of the game.
The most significant event in his life and the lives of every Indian cricket fan, the manner Kapil scripted India’s victory in the 1983 Cricket World Cup.
How Kapil started in international cricket?
Kapil Dev‘s test debut
Making his international debut against Pakistan in 1978. It didn’t take Kapil long to establish himself in the illustrious Indian team. His excellent aggressive and consistent batting and bowling skills led to him being everyone’s favourite right away.
Apart from heroics in World Cup 1983, Kapil had played solid cricket in the other major tournaments as well and helped India clinch the victory in many games, but the one thing that will stay with him for lifetime is tag, 83 hero.
Why everyone call Kapil ’83 hero’?
It is usually recognized that an underdog Indian cricket team won the 1983 World Cup final. Against the powerful West Indies and wrote their own chapter in history. The underdog team, commonly known as Kapil’s Devils, served as an inspiration to a whole generation of people in India.
However, the likelihood that Kapil Dev will outright deny ever captaining a team that was an underdog to the world to victory if asked how it felt is strong. India wasn’t the underdog that overawed in the World Cup final and won by accident, claims the Kapil Dev.
For the side led by Kapil Dev, the journey was not easy, and with good reason. India won their first match of the competition against the West Indies. But lost their next two before taking on Zimbabwe.
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Kapil Dev’s 175 knock against Zimbabwe
India had a terrifying start to the match and were down to 17/5 while batting first. They were desperate to win to keep themselves in the running for making it to the semi-finals. However, what happened at the Tunbridge Wells over the course of the following few hours resulted in an astounding display of outstanding leadership by a 24-year-old.
Kapil Dev played one of the greatest ODI centuries in history when he led India from 17/5 to 266/8 after 60 overs. He struck 175 from 138 deliveries, including six maximums and 16 boundaries.
In the end, his performance served as the motivating factor for India, which helped to boost morale. As a result, they defeated Australia in group stage. England in the semifinals, and the West Indies in the final to clinch the 1983 world cup.
